


Cooked with Love: Lovely Medley

by kiwikakumei



Series: Cooked with Love! [4]
Category: Food Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Comedy, Intrigue! and possibly angst, M/M, Male Master Attendant (Food Fantasy), More tags to come cause you've been on this ride before, Multi, Original Character(s), Romance, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23615806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwikakumei/pseuds/kiwikakumei
Summary: The third collection of stories following Master Attendant Reylen, his growing family of Food Souls and their many adventures at their home at the Sweet Leaf."And yet One wonders: just how powerful is the ingredient called love?"
Relationships: Chocolate & Coffee & Master Attendant (Food Fantasy), Chocolate & Master Attendant (Food Fantasy), Coffee & Master Attendant (Food Fantasy)
Series: Cooked with Love! [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1230932
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	1. Udon even Know About It! (Udon)

_“To eat is to appropriate by destruction.” - Jean-Paul Sartre_

_Perhaps he cannot hear me as of yet._

_But he knows that we will meet again soon._

_For now, please keep smiling as you always do..._

\--

From what Reylen could remember, his favourite food was the Sakurajima renowned dish of vegetable tempura. The crispness that came from the panko, the freshness of the vegetables that were lovingly picked out, those things were his reasons why he seemed to gravitate to the dish whenever he found it if he were out at a different restaurant that specializes in Sakurajima cuisine. His mother perfected the dish, but it was high time he learned the recipe himself, should he wished to quell his cravings.

Everyone has a favourite food, even if they didn’t know it. There are ones who like savory, lush kinds of foods, ones who like super sweet delicacies, even the adventurous one will admit they like their food with an added spicy kick. 

As an up and coming Culinary Chef and even more up and coming Master Attendant of a variety of Food Souls, Reylen Sharpe was a man trying to cater to his audience’s tastes. Sometimes he got it right, and there are days where he learned from his mistakes (sometimes, drastically). 

What he learned recently, was that his own Food Souls had their own likings of food as well. They had preferences that were mostly narrow but simple to do. Some of his Food Souls had inclinations that he hadn’t gotten around to learning about yet. His expertise was strictly Light Kingdom, but as he was nearing the end of his recipe book and repertoire, he was beginning to get antsy over learning something new. And his craving for vegetable tempura was getting to both his mental patience and wallet.

And so, with yet another newcomer and their ‘interesting’ ways to pass the time, Reylen decided to stretch out his culinary expertise to something new.

\--

_“MAAAAAASTER ATTENDAAAAANT!!”_

In the early bits of the waning summer afternoon, a young girl was trampling up and down the halls of the Sweet Leaf Residence, not too happy that she was burdened with boredom at this time of the day. Her dirty brown locks were pulled up in messy pigtails (the barrettes looking like shiitake mushrooms and another clip holding stray strands together on the top of her head with a fish-cake design), bouncing to her frustrated beat. She was fumbling with the end of a long noodle-like string that trailed behind her, the top of her folded mock robe tight against her small body and her short skirt fluttering. She huffed for what was the umpteenth time, her patience waning.

“Oiiii, Udon-chyan.”

She whipped around, her noodle string hitting the side of Sukiyaki’s face with a hard whack. They doubled over in pain while she sighed exasperatedly. “Sukiyaki! There you are! Someone I can _actually_ have fun with!”

“Oooouch, no need to get unnecessarily violent with me,” Sukiyaki rubbed the cheek that got hit, one eyebrow raised in slight concern. “What’s gotten into you, anyway?”

Udon huffed again. “I’m _BORED!_ ”

“Ohhh, _that_ dilemma.”

The girl shoved Sukiyaki’s side, huffing. “You don’t get it! It’s so boring here! All anyone ever does around here is chores, Sweet Leaf work and LAZING AROUND!!” She crossed her arms in annoyance. “It’s not helping that Master Attendant isn’t around for me to give me anything to do!”

Sukiyaki chuckled. “Well yeah. He’s a busy guy, what with being the head of a _popular_ restaurant and all.”

Udon pouted, finding a seat in one of the nearest benches that usually scattered across the vast hallway. “So then, you’re here then! Can’t _you_ give me something to do? You’re defs the mischievous type!”

The gray haired Food Soul quickly brought their hands up in defense. “That’s definitely a higher standard for, oh, say, Ume-chan?” They gave a malicious grin towards Udon.

The girl blinked, suddenly not understanding Sukiyaki’s abrupt change in behavior. “U-Ume….chan…?” She hated knowing that there was ill intent happening in Sukiyaki’s smile…

...and knowing that Ume Ochazuke was right in on their plans.

“What about me?”

Udon jumped a few feet off the floor, screaming at the chilling voice that was the source of her fear. Ume Ochazuke, who was standing right behind her, gave an airy chuckle, Sukiyaki also joining in, leaning one elbow over Ume Ochazuke’s shoulder.

“Ahaha! Didja see the look on her face?!” They pointed at the fallen Udon.

Ume giggled. “Of course! I’m the one who caused it!”

As the pair cackled, Udon got back on her feet, fuming. “You guys are so mean! I’m gonna go find Master Attendant! Find SOMETHING BETTER to do!!” With a clear stomp of one foot, she stormed off, not realizing the two were still laughing it up.

She had no clue where Reylen was, and her options were to check the front of the store (That’ll mean seeing customers and possibly being pulled into WORK, blegh), or the kitchens (Another bout of work, maybe? Also blegh, she couldn’t cook to save her life). Maybe he was in the front yard? That was a quiet spot at least for him to think, but she can’t even imagine the thought of Reylen relaxing for just a moment. The guy was a workaholic to the bone! Maybe the garden? That place was always needed to be tended to, but maybe she would run into other Food Souls that wouldn’t appreciate her prankster-like personality. There was a plethora of places her Master Attendant could be skulking about, and she wanted to make sure she found him before the day was done. It’s just that there were too _many_ places to look.

Stepping outside into the Hilena sunshine, Udon stretched her arms and let out a giant yawn. The rays weren't going to stop her from finding Reylen.

She suddenly picked up a shrill bell that was heard from a nearby bike, making its way towards the restaurant’s front gates. It was the Gloriville Bike Mail service, she noted, having seen them come by a lot, mostly with bills and delivery requests for her Master Attendant. Every now and then, though, he got small care packages from his mother in the countryside, and today it looked like the package was much more heftier than normal. 

She greeted the delivery person with an energetic wave and her best grin. They tipped their hat, while balancing the large brown box in their one arm, announcing their usual quote of the day: “Delivery! Delivery for Reylen Sharpe!”

 _It didn’t look_ **_too_ ** _heavy,_ she thought to herself. Most of the time, Reylen was so subjected to his work that he only noticed his mail during the waning hours of closing the store. 

Maybe this was her mischievous work for the day….?

The gears in her head started churning and she viciously grinned to herself. Maybe Reylen can wait just a _tiny_ bit for his package.

\--

“Coffee, can you pass me that box near your feet?”

“Certainly, darling.”

“Eheh...are you sure you’re okay to work in the cold with me?”

“There _is_ such a thing as iced coffee, dear. I volunteered anyway.”

Reylen was to be found in the Sweet Leaf’s big walk-in cooler, taking in the usual inventory of the place, a trait he learned not too long ago by the previous inventory queen, Black Tea. It took an awful long time to get everything counted and sorted out, especially since he had teams bringing in ingredients on the daily. With the addition of a bigger cooler, Reylen had to learn to count as much as he can to make sure his restaurant had enough to work with, and with the increasing amount of items that needed to be frozen, he needed to learn how to do inventory faster, for the sake of his restaurant’s success and for his own level of soundness. 

For now, he had just the dry storage to do after he sorted a few more boxes, and with today’s shipments, he was more than grateful for his partner, Coffee’s help.

“Hey, so what did you want for lunch, by the way?” the slate haired man asked, shoving a box of frozen sweet yams into one shelf. “Did you want veggie salad again?”

The blond laughed, joining his partner’s side and placing a tray full of butter sticks on a taller shelf. “That’s Choco’s favourite. I’d rather have some slices of cheese bread.”

Reylen perked his head curiously. “Didn’t take you for the simple stuff.”

“It’s the little things that make me satisfied. Like your eyelashes, your cute nose, your--”

The smaller of the two had gone to shove Coffee’s arm playfully, laughing. “Stooop!” This didn’t stop Coffee from scooping Reylen into his arms, peppering his cheek with kisses. Unfortunately, having his partner work alongside him for inventory was more of a distraction than getting progress done.

A small knock against the steeled door made the two flinch and Reylen looked up to see Bonito Rice, shivering slightly with one brown cat in his arms. Despite wearing folds upon folds of yukata, Bonito Rice wasn’t too fond of the cold.

“M-M-Muh-Master Attendant...Did we get a p-p-package today?”

“Huh? I didn’t know, I’ve been in here for a bit,” Reylen replied, slowly getting out of Coffee’s hold (the latter sighing reluctantly while doing so). 

“Mm. I heard the Delivery Bike bell a few minutes ago. I didn’t see anyone drop anything in your mailbox.” Bonito Rice fiddled with one strand of his hair, then let the cat in his arms paw at it.

Coffee put one hand on his hips. “Maybe they didn’t have mail for us?” At that, Bonito Rice’s cat meowed in protest, making the blond chuckle nervously.

“So someone picked it up then. That’s more than fine!” Reylen beamed. 

“Yeah, but, _who_?” Bonito Rice questioned.

Reylen blinked. “...Someone? From _here_ , right?”

Coffee snorted. “Get to the point, Bon-Bon, Master Attendant hates guessing games.”

Bonito Ric shook his head. “Yes, but I’m not playing a game, I just didn’t hear anybody take our mail.”

“But...we _have_ mail, right?” 

“Yes, but _who_ took it is the problem here--”

Reylen couldn’t take it any longer and hurried outside. Bonito Rice’s cat leapt out of the Food Soul’s arms, treading behind the worried Master Attendant. 

The brunet gave Coffee a blank stare while Coffee shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, I’m gonna finish everything up here. Some cheese bread is calling my name…”

\--

“Mweh-heh-heh, this is the _perfect_ place to hide this thing!”

Udon had found herself lugging the brown package up the small staircase that led to the cramped attic of the third floor. There were scattered rooms that were mostly used for storage and Udon had heard that only one person was residing up here on his lonesome (and who he was, was apparently off limits, strangely. Something about him being a lethargic vampire, more lethargic than Escargot, even. He was still off limits anyhow). 

She cracked open one of the spare storage rooms, closing the creaky door behind her with a click. Udon then snuck over to the one cot that was stuffed to the one side of the room, the other being cluttered with boxes, both full and some flattened and leaned against the wall across from her. She sat atop the cot, sneezing slightly when a cloud of dust was made when she made contact with the cot’s surface. 

Sniffling, she looked at the box, curious as to what was inside. She wouldn’t open it, of course! That’s going against _very_ strict rules of being a prankster, like an unspoken code that she, Ume Ochazuke and Sukiyaki made up some few days ago. Plus, this was Master Attendant’s, and once he found her, he could deal with the box by himself. But the contents of the package was still enough to make the girl interested. 

With an experimental shake of the box, Udon huffed. It didn’t sound like something fragile (and she wondered why she shook the package, in a guilty fashion). She took a look at the simple label that was plastered on top of the box, which only read Reylen’s full name, the address of the Sweet Leaf and a bright pink ‘Open With Care’ sticker keeping the label together on one end. She cringed upon seeing it.

Well, it couldn’t be _that_ fragile, right?

“...where could he have put it though…?”

Udon jolted in surprise, her pigtails rising at the same time as her shoulders as faint voices were coming up the stairs. They sounded like Sushi and Sashimi. With as much grace as she could muster at the moment, she carried the package in her arms, sneaking against the door and straining to listen.

“...oh! Maybe he put it in that one room nearby that weirdo vampire!” Sashimi’s voice suggested, determinedly.

Udon could practically hear Sushi’s head shaking in concern. “We are NOT doing that. We are to leave the shards we retrieved in a special box, and leave.”

“Yeah, but where did Master Attendant leave said box! It kinda shows here that he likes shoving things in place…”

As Sushi and Sashimi made casual chatter, Udon’s golden eyes scanned the small room she was in, looking for this presumed special box the two were looking for. If she was as quick as Red Wine or Sanma-nii, she could place the box in an inconspicuous spot out in the open and she could sneak back downstairs, and while she was at it, deliver the package to Reylen, as if nothing happened at all! What a genius thought!

But as she looked in the room, now looking smaller to her eyes, she couldn’t find a box that seemed to stick out like a sore thumb. She fumed loudly to herself in slight frustration.

“...there it is!”

Udon’s shoulders sagged as Sashimi’s little triumphant yell and Sushi’s words of appreciation made her plan sink under. She squished herself against the door even more as the two talked in hushed tones and before she could realize it, she was shoved back as the door was opened violently. Sushi had her naginata at the ready, while Sashimi, being the one who clicked the door open, gawked as Udon had rolled into a few empty boxes, the package she was holding flying somewhere in the pile.

“U-Udon-chan?!” Sashimi’s jaw dropped.

Sushi, sighing, using her naginata to prop Udon in a sitting position. “We will ignore the fact that you were hiding out here and proceed to ask _why_ you are here?”

“Oooooow ow ow,” Udon winced, rubbing the side of her head. “I was just doing, uh, a stakeout! Yeah! That’s what they call it, right?”

“Do you even know what a stakeout even is?” Sashimi said, giving an exasperated look towards the girl. 

“For real though?! I wanted to just, uh, do some spying up here! Heard there was a vampire living up in here and I thought maybe to uh--”

“Hide this thing you were holding just a moment ago?” Sushi exclaimed, holding up the now squished and torn up package in her hands. This resulted in Udon’s wail of despair, crawling to Sushi to pull the package out of her grasp.

“ _O-Oh no….Master Attendant’s package…”_

Sushi’s eyebrow twitched. “And we will _also_ ignore the fact that you stole a package.”

Udon turned towards the pair, clutching the ripped up package like a newborn Fallen. “I...I-I didn’t s-s-steal...I-I-I’m in trouble….”

“Yeah, like we don’t know that already,” Sashimi replied sarcastically.

Sushi went over to pat one stiff hand over Udon’s head. “For now, we will join you in explaining what happened here and--” Her sentence had been cut off as the three of them finely tuned in to a faint sound that came from outside the tiny room.

“Is that a...flute?” Sashimi strained to hear.

“It sounds otherworldly,” Sushi closed her eyes, almost leaning into the mysterious sound.

Udon’s reaction was complete bewilderment however. She gulped, shaking her head constantly. “Nnnnope! I don’t wanna be here anymore!” She scrambled to get up on her feet, dragging one of Sushi’s long sleeves with her. By instinct, Sushi also took Sashimi’s wrist and together, the trio raced their way back into the safety of the lower floors.

\--

Reylen had to clap a hand over his mouth, struggling not to laugh at the current situation that was in front of him at the moment. Udon was in front of him, stifling her lip fiercely as she was about ready to cry, and in her stretched out hands was a crushed package, the paper wrapping all torn, as if it suffered a great fall. 

Her story was cute, despite it being full of blubbering noises: something about her wanting to steal one of his mailed packages and keep it upstairs in the attic until he figured out that he didn’t have mail. He was a man of habit but not one to check his mail after work most of the time. But to have gone into the attic where _nobody_ out of sheer choice wanted to go up there, it was hilarious to him.

Still, seeing Udon so broken up over wrecking his package was making him a tiny bit guilty, so he patted the shorter girl on the head, giving a reassuring smile. “I’m not mad, okay? I’m just glad you gave my item back to me.”

“Buh-buh-buh--” The waterworks finally broke through and Reylen took the package in time as Udon went to wipe her eyes from the big globs of tears that fell quickly out. As she cried, he ripped the package to reveal its treasured contents: a book.

Immediately, her sadness turned to instant curiosity as she looked at the indigo dyed book in Reylen’s hands. It was bound by an old string and smelled of deep soy sauce. 

“Err... _hiccup!_ What is that, Master Attendant?”

The Master Attendant gave a low chuckle, now flipping the book open and scanning its contents. “Same ol’, same ol’...” He then slapped the book closed, giving Udon a grin. “Hey, are you hungry? I know you wanted to apologize and all, but I have a better plan.”

Udon’s golden eyes narrowed, tears finally ran dry and now replaced with suspicion. “Yeah, but you didn’t tell me what that book is! What’s so special about it?!”

“You’ll see! Can you help me with getting some ingredients though?”

After a few fumbles around the kitchen and the walk in cooler, Udon watched in awe as Reylen navigated his new book’s contents and chopped a huge pineapple, then he quickly put a few flower-shaped slices in a small toaster oven, as if experimenting the batch first. 

As she observed his movements, she felt another gentle hand pat atop her head once more. She flinched, fuming at the person who committed such an action. Man, she felt like a kid whenever people did that!

“Don’t do that!”

Coffee, the culprit, gave a sly grin back. “Sorry, sorry. So, were you admiring our Master Attendant while he cooked? He’s lovely, isn’t it?”

Udon stuck her tongue out at the blond. “Ick! Not my type, at all! He’s too stiff for me!”

“Oh _stiff_ now, huh?”

The girl gulped as Reylen finally walked over, now holding a plate with a few golden rings of pineapple topped on it. At first she stuck her tongue out at the Master Attendant but was quickly brought back at the dish he was holding out and marveled at its browned exterior. With an even longer glance, there were globs of honey glazed over it. It smelled of heaven!

“Waaaah! This smells so good! What is it though, Master Attendant? Pineapple crisp?”

“Baked pineapple, silly!” He said happily. “Try it! It’s a bit hot, but I wanted you to be the first to try it.”

As Udon took the fork provided by Reylen and blew on one piece a few times, Coffee joined Reylen’s side, looping an arm around his waist as they both watched Udon munch on the piece of pineapple in happy bliss. Her sounds of appreciation with each bite made Reylen’s smile a little bigger.

“So, guessing that’s the recipe book your mother wanted to send you?” Coffee asked, breaking Reylen out of his reverie.

“Mm! I told her I was done with my giant official Light Kingdom one that I asked her to send me her extra copy of Sakurajima cuisine.”

Coffee snorted. “You just wanted to make that tempura stuff that you were craving a week back!”

Reylen laughed. “What’s wrong with that?! If I can make it by myself, then I’d save a whole ton of money that way!”

Udon nibbled on her third piece of baked pineapple, watching as Coffee and Reylen exchanged their cute banter and not completely understanding it. Lovers were weird, she wanted to say, but she had a lot of fruit in her mouth so whatever. So as long as her Master Attendant had her recipe book unharmed and he was happy, she supposed. Maybe with enough convincing, she could prank him to make more? Oh, what a genius thought!

She was invested in her clever idea that she didn’t notice that a few more pieces of pineapple were being snatched by two other Food Souls, grinning at each other and quietly high fiving one another. It wasn’t until Reylen and Coffee, having stopped their banter, pointed at the giggling Ume Ochazuke and Sukiyaki that Udon freaked out.

\--

_Bit too Corny for My Tastes_

Bonito Rice gave a slow blink as Mooncake and Udon prattled and giggled to themselves endlessly about the new expedition plans they were going to set out into. Reylen had suggested going into North Island’s Crazy Jungle and Mooncake, having made quick friends with yet another prankster in the making, suggested that they both go in, alongside their forced mediator, Bonito Rice. 

“It’s gonna be SO exciting! We can bring a snake back and probably scare Sukiyaki-san with it!” Udon maliciously grinned.

“Oooh, maybe snails to put in Ume’s hair!” Mooncake suggested, her giggles becoming more laced with mischief by the minute.

The brunet Food Soul could only sigh to himself and hold one brown tabby in his arms for comfort. This was going to be a long day…

….he would say, if not for Reylen suddenly arriving before they left the front gates of the Sweet Leaf.

“Guys! I’m sorry, but I have to postpone the expedition!”

While Bonito Rice blinked in recognition, Mooncake and Udon both gave screams of confusion.

“ ** _WHAAAAAAAAT!??!?!”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the third segment of CWL! 
> 
> Udon has SUCH a cute design and to not give her a filter is something I can relate to (cause I have no filter either haha). 
> 
> I got Dragon and Phoenix so now he and Realgar can totally kiss haha gay rights--
> 
> Anyways! Stay tuned! This segment will be just like the others cause I love my FS and I love giving them both pain and love to show them they're alive!


	2. Spoiled Over (Yogurt)

_ “I've got more important things to think about. I've got a yogurt to finish by today, the expiry date is today.” - Gordon Strachan _

_ These things take time. _

_ He was young, barely wanting to know and understand me. _

_ But I know that he has gotten stronger as the years have gone by. _

\--

Reylen didn’t consider himself very good with his Food Soul’s team dynamics. Sure, he got the fact that some of them were very close friends and even closer enemies (the many times he had to tell Red Wine and Steak to stop lunging at each other’s throats were tallying as much as Omurice and Pudding’s bickerings left and right). But he had trouble melding two completely different Food Souls together, only for his fear of having them not get along as much as he would like.

This problem happened continually whenever he had to create teams for Exploration missions. The places promoted harsh conditions and only Reylen knew which Food Souls he had to send in order to retrieve the right materials. It’s only the matter of mixing said Food Souls together that was his problem.

Learning that getting the task done together, regardless of the messy dynamics was the lesson to be learned both by the Master Attendant and his ever growing family.

\--

The Sweet Leaf residence had a few Food Souls about to head out for a new exploration mission, but there was a hint of anxiety in the air. In the front door foyer, Salad squinted at the new letter that had contents concerning their new rules concerning the exploration, and he was trying to deduce and absorb its unusual contents. Steak, who stood behind him, glanced at his companion in mild worry.

“...So, you  _ did _ read the letter correctly, right?”

“M-Mm. It’s kinda intense now.”

“It doesn’t seem that intense to me.”

“Well to  _ you!! _ ”

The letter was snatched from the smaller boy’s hands and Vodka, who had been curious in her own way, ignored Salad’s pleas to give the letter back. “What’s the deal with you standing here anyway? Aren’t you two going out on an expedition right now or something? I thought those got cancelled yesterday.”

“We’re just waiting for Master Attendant’s permission to go,” Steak said nonchalantly.

Salad turned to the taller lady, shaking his head vigorously and pointing at the piece of paper between Vodka’s fingers. “U-Um! It’s saying that it’s back up but uh, um, things have changed about it...”

“Hm? Like what?” She raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

“There’s uh, things to do, uh, with certain Food Souls uh…”

Vodka shrugged, now beginning to hastily scan her eyes over the document, thinking that Salad wasn’t going to be the best candidate to explain what was going on. She began to look more and more disgusted however after reading the letter. “Eeeeugh! There’s just a whole bunch of revamp on missions! You call this a change?!”

Steak took back the letter from Vodka, eyes narrowed. “You never like doing missions, why are you so concerned?” 

“I can be concerned over things when I want to be, meathead!” 

“Oi, don’t go becoming that asshole Red Wine now…”

“You guys doing okay?” Reylen entered the room and placed gentle hands on Salad’s shoulders. He gave a tender smile towards a disgruntled Vodka and a perturbed Steak. “Did you understand what the letter said?”

“Y-Yeah!” Salad perked up, giving his best smile up at his beloved Master Attendant. “And you wanted just me and Steak to go?”

“Yup! That, and I want you guys to use these,” Reylen dug into his coat pocket and then handed Salad two small slips of paper with bright blue swirls all over it. Salad turned, giving Reylen a confused look over the new items.

“I was told they’re speed up coupons. They’re to help you guys get home faster once you guys get the item I requested for.” Reylen pulled away from the smaller boy, now going over to open the door. “Well, I’m counting on you guys!”

Steak went to clap a hand over Salad’s shoulder. “Leave it to us! Salad is very strong so I’m in good hands.” 

This only made his partner blush profusely and Steak had to drag him by the wrist to bring him out.

Reylen waved them away then turned to Vodka, who was leaning against one of the front door’s small tables. “So where exactly are they heading out to, exactly?”

“Well, uh, hard to explain since my superior, Olivia, didn’t make it clear herself.” He joined her side, reopening the letter to read its contents. “ _ There is a special Exploration realm that your Food Souls may explore to collect materials necessary for you and your restaurant’s growth _ . Or something like that.”

Vodka raised an eyebrow again. “A realm? Like, outside of the city, she means?”

“I really don’t know. Steak and Salad’s rendezvous point is at the edge of Hilena so maybe they’re getting picked up?”

“Then why didn’t you go with them?!”

“I’m not allowed to!”

Vodka crossed her arms, huffing. “Are you insane, just letting them go on a newfound exploration without knowing what they’re gonna go through--”

“We’re back, Master Attendant!”

Both Reylen and Vodka flinched upon hearing Steak’s voice once again. They turned to see the pair of Food Souls, still looking the same, yet looking a bit more frazzled than anything. Reylen stepped forward, bringing his hands to a shaky Salad’s face. “That was...really quick.”

“Y-Y-Yeah…” Salad was the most shocked out of the two. His words jumbled as fast as his shaky shoulders. “W-We just stopped at that bus stop you told us to go to just down the road from our place and we went on the bus that came really quickly actually now that I think about it and Steak took out those coupons you gave us and it lit up the bus and then we found ourselves back here and, and--”

He was hushed by Steak’s calm hand over one shoulder. The red haired Food Soul quietly held up in his gloved palm three Food Soul shards, all glittering a brilliant emerald. “I found these in my hand when we showed back up here.”

Reylen gave a small gasp upon laying his eyes on the shards in Steak’s hand. “Oh those ones!! I think I have enough to summon..!” He then turned to Vodka, his face frantic. “Could you quickly go to the room where we keep our Fallen Angel incubators? Find a small green shard bag in the cases in the left side of the room, please?”

Vodka huffed, but turned heel towards the flight upstairs. “This Food Soul better be worth my walking time!”

Steak shook the shards in his hand, shooing the icy haired maiden away. “For Master Attendant, remember!!”

“He owes me two drinks at this rate!”

\--

Reylen decided to fuse the new shards he got out in the garden, as it was a nice day and perhaps it would be best to summon his new Food Soul out in the spacious open than the usual crowded Summoning Room.

Plus, something about this one made Reylen want the Food Soul to be greeted by the light of the warm summer sun. Something about the way he held the shards in his hands gave him a strong, youthful feeling that made him want his newest companion to be greeted in the warmest possible way he had at his disposal.

Salad, Steak and Vodka stood behind their Master Attendant as he placed the bright emerald shards on top of a wooden box. The shards glowed luminously and rushes of smoke surrounded the tiny box. As the group shielded their eyes, a glistening green crystal appeared over the box, followed by a strong dust cloud surrounding the crystal and the air was covered in reflective, glittering green. Once the summoning winds died down, Reylen looked up.

This time, a short blonde woman was floating just inches off the box, ram horns protruding from the sides of her head. Her clothes were, if Reylen was to put it lightly, adorned in mountain-folk fashion, with her ‘stockings’ looking like white cream against her lithe legs. Blue butterflies flocked around her and the beautiful flower headpiece that was adorned in her hair. Her caramel coloured eyes opened slowly and the gentle smile she gave Reylen reminded him of a mother with endless love for their child.

“...Ah! Good Morning! I am Yogurt.” She floated off the box, taking Reylen’s hands in her own while her feet still hovered closely near the grassy ground. Her hands were warm, as warm as her voice. “In the future, please let me take care of your health.” 

Reylen watched in quiet awe as she squeezed his fingers between her own, her face full of concern, her next comment taking him aback a little. 

“...You need a balanced diet.”

Vodka stepped between the was-cute moment. “You calling our Master Attendant fat, you?!”

Yogurt turned, giving Vodka a smile as well. “I would never! I am only reminding him that he needs to have a balanced diet, that’s all!”

Vodka squinted her eyes as she pointed two fingers at Yogurt, then towards her eyes in a mock ‘I’m watching you’ action. Yogurt giggled behind her hand, not understanding such a gesture.

Steak bowed head. “I am Steak, the fussy one is Vodka, and my small companion here is Salad.” 

Said small companion gave a hasty bow, before Yogurt floated over, taking Salad’s hands and squeezing gently, her expression soft. “Oh, little Salad! Hello, my dearest friend!” 

The boy, upon realizing his old friend, couldn’t hold back a sob and he tackled the taller woman, hugging her tightly. “Yoguuuuurt!! I missed you so much! I’m so glad you’re here!!”

Yogurt patted Salad’s head, humming into the youth’s hair, then she looked up at Reylen and Steak. “Thank you for taking care of my friend.”

“W--Oh course, Lady Yogurt!” Steak replied hastily, bowing his head. “I have vowed to protect Salad with my life, so you do not need to worry about harm coming his way!” 

Yogurt heard an embarrassed squeak come from Salad and the smaller boy hid behind Yogurt, his face burning. Reylen gave his reunited Food Souls a small, relieved chuckle. “So, how about we get you situated around here, Yogurt?”

“Oh, of course! Do tell me about this beloved place you call home.”

While Reylen led Yogurt out to see the hill that their home was atop of, Steak had gently pulled Salad and Vodka aside. He had a pensive look upon his features. “I believe the next time we go out exploring, we should grab more shards. It seems that we can make Master Attendant’s family grow far more if we do.”

Salad nodded vigorously. “Yeah! It got me my friend back! It’ll help a lot!”

Vodka turned her nose at the two. “Well you two could do that. I’m not the Exploring type at all, so you can just leave me out of th--”

“Oiii! You three! Can I speak with you guys for a sec?” Reylen shouted from the top of the hill.

The snow-haired maiden gave a frustrated huff as she reluctantly followed Steak and Salad towards whatever task they’ll probably be throttled with.

\--

It was mostly concerning more Exploration routes.

It had been a few days since he fused enough shards to fuse Yogurt. After being able to fuse more shards easily, Reylen was getting that nostalgic wave of feelings to continue finding more materials. He discussed such matters to Steak, Salad and Vodka and they (well, at least Steak and Salad) agreed to take on another trip without the need for speed up coupons, since Reylen didn’t know how his Food Soul's explorations went firsthand with the new regulations. He had told Steak to take note of the area they were to partake explorations at for recording purposes and had suggested for his newest recruit, Yogurt, to take part as well.

He had taken a good look at the requirements for certain missions via an Exploration log that Olivia had given him. The strange thing about the log was that it updated itself in a few hours so that he could send out as many needed Food Souls as needed. The only thing that stopped such a daunting task was that he was only allowed 4 Food Soul teams during those hours and however long it took for the missions to be set. Which wasn’t the problem.

Now his exploration deemed particular requirements, as the letter he had received covered. The current missions his log showed gave particular Food Souls that were suggested to send off, but Reylen wasn’t too keen on the apparent ‘choices’ that the log was giving him. For one mission, it suggested Food Souls that specialized in Defense, and another mission wanted Magic. At least the log showed his current list of Food Souls that he obtained, making the choices easier.

It was just the matter of the team dynamics that were the stark problem here.

“Master Attendaaaaaant! We’re gonna head out now!” Tempura shouted from the front door foyer. Alongside a determined Tom Yum, the pair raced out towards the bus stop where they were to be picked up. Reylen waved the pair goodbye and consulted the small patchwork log in his hands again. Tom Yum and Tempura were to travel to one particular spot in Gloriville to gather seasoning ingredients and Reylen was positive on the pair’s chemistry since they were known to do Deliveries together. He was going to chance sending two more teams, since the rest of the available missions didn’t seem to favour his current Food Soul list.

On one team, he went and added Pineapple Cake, Cassata and Vodka together, but the dynamic seemed off-putting to him for some reason. Their personalities didn’t seem to mesh well if he thought about it hard enough.

“Master Attendant? Is something the matter?”

Reylen flinched as Yogurt tapped his shoulder, breaking him out of his jumbled thoughts. He gave a small nod as the nimble woman floated beside him. Her sweet honey coloured eyes had a worried look and he had to reply with a nervous chuckle.

“I’m just looking over my exploration plans, don’t worry.”

“I worry, Master Attendant!” The blonde smiled at him. “Is it because you don’t know who to send out?”

The man couldn’t help his timid laughter from slipping out. “No, it’s about the teams I’m able to send out. I’m worried whether they’ll get along enough to get the missions done.”

Yogurt frowned, a new expression that looked alien to Reylen. “So they won’t….get...along with each other? That’s the problem you’re facing?”

“Well yeah, I just need to talk to them, but usually it ends up with small arguments and--”

“That’s not good! That’s not healthy!” The floating Food Soul placed her hands on Reylen’s shoulders, her face determined. “I will give them the talking-to, if that’s alright with you, Master Attendant!”

Reylen blinked in confusion. “Huh, what? No, it’s fine, Yogurt, this is my problem, I can d--”

He didn’t get another word in as Yogurt snatched the exploration log out of his hands, floating off into the house. She shouted some names and in a moment’s notice a few other Food Souls had joined with her in the small lobby.

“Yeah?! What’s the matter? Is someone proposing?!” Pineapple Cake demanded, clutchin her bouquet in her shaky hands. Cassata stood beside her, shaking his head in dismay.

Vodka propped a elbow over Salad’s head and Steak was quietly trying to pull her off. “You! Yogurt-head! You’re not the one telling us to go out now, are you?! That’s Master Attendant’s job!”

She, alongside with the rest of the rowdy group, suddenly cringed in absolute fear when Yogurt shot her a look that Reylen wasn’t able to catch as soon as he entered the room.

“Guys! I’m sorry, Yogurt wanted to just see the log! You guys don’t have to go now--”

“No, I called you all here to discuss a very important matter concerning these missions, actually.”

Reylen awkwardly watched as Yogurt floated over, pulling Vodka away from Steak and Salad, and instead placing her between Cassata and Pineapple Cake. 

Vodka immediately recoiled. “I  _ said _ I didn’t want to work with these two!”

“Point taken,” Cassata growled under his breath.

Yogurt then knelt in front of Pineapple Cake. “Can you be the leader for this one?” She offered her warmest smile towards the smaller girl. “I’m sure that you’re the more responsible one out of these two!”

At this, both Vodka and Cassata shouted. “ _ WHAT?!” _

“No way in hell! I take care of both Pizza and Cheese! I  _ know _ I’m responsible!” Cassata challenged.

Vodka crossed her arms. “Hmph! I’ve got a better sense of direction than these two idiots!”

“S-Should I not be the leader…?” Pineapple Cake hesitantly sputtered to Yogurt, who only patted her head, replying with a whispered ‘no’, quietly letting the smaller girl know that she’ll be the one to defuse the situation.

Yogurt turned to Cassata. “Sir, you said you’re taking care of two other Food Souls, yes? Shouldn’t you give yourself a break just this once and let someone else lead for a bit?” 

Cassata gave a downcast look. “Usually if I do, then it only gives them more leeway to cause more trouble, but, if you say so...I mean, I can always supervise but...”

Leaving Cassata to dwell in his thoughts, the blonde then turned to Vodka. “If you have such good direction, then you need to help direct your leader when you’re able to! Can you do that without making a fuss?”

Vodka shot daggers at Yogurt, still undaunted by the woman’s resilience to make her, ugh,  _ cooperate _ with everyone. “I’ll be fussy, but I’ll do it. Gods.” She then turned to Pineapple Cake, who blanched. “You better listen to me if you don’t wanna get lost!”

While Cassata went to mediate between the two girls, Yogurt floated over to Steak and Salad. “Can we three work together? As a test run?”

Steak nodded solemnly while Salad gave a quick ‘yes!’. Yogurt finally turned to a dumbstruck Reylen, who still was caught up in this whole ordeal.

“So! That settles it then! Is this good conditions, Master Attendant?”

“I, uh, yeah?”

“Good! Then, we’ll be off!”

Reylen watched in awkward silence as Yogurt, taking up the front, lead her allies out into the wilds. He didn’t know how his newest team member would fare in terms of endurance, but perhaps he was tossing his faith for Yogurt too soon.

\--

The clouds outside the Sweet Leaf were getting darker as the day rolled to a close and Reylen was finishing up dishes with a yawning Tiramisu beside him, recounting the daily events of the Dining Room. The welcome tinkling of the chimes from the backyard door made the Master Attendant look up and with Tiramisu nodding, he went to go check.

Yogurt waved him over from the doorway while Steak was still outside, making a small pile of wood planks. Salad was also trying to help but was struggling to drag one plank with both arms and dragging himself in a sluggish pace at the front gates.

To one side, Tempura and Tom Yum was counting frantically at their respectful piles of seasoning leaves, both accusing one another that the other had _‘tripped him_ ’ or ‘ _left him for that One Fallen’_. It was an amusing sight.

And on another side, Pineapple Cake, Cassata and Vodka, who at first didn’t have anything to do with one another, were talking animatedly about their journey back. Cassata had taken Pineapple Cake’s hand, laughing softly at her adorations about a puppy they had run into on the way back while Vodka was proudly strutting behind them, a batch of glittering Soul Ambers all collected in her gathered arms.

Frankly, Reylen was taken aback by the group’s sudden harmony.

“Hello again, Master Attendant!” Yogurt greeted him, standing by his side. “It seems as though all of us were successful in our Expeditions!”

“Yeah, no kidding!” Reylen found himself saying under his breath as they both watched Steak run over to help Salad with his struggle. “You guys managed ok? No bickering?” He had been worried about the state of Pineapple Cake’s group and each of the member’s individual personalities clashing too violently together.

Yogurt gave a sweet smile towards the taller male, motioning towards said group as they settled in one of the front garden chairs, still in heated discussion amongst themselves. “I believe that their chemistry worked out in the end.”

“But...how?”

“Well I suppose there is a healing art when it comes to working alongside one another.”

Reylen’s eyebrows raised at such an idea but looking at everyone mingling with one another was making Yogurt’s observation more true to the light. He nodded to himself.

“...Thank you for uh, being able to convince them to work together, Yogurt. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem, Master Attendant!” She beamed. “Just as long as you can allow me to keep being the one to organize your Exploration groups from now on!”

The male flinched a little but then gave a stifled laugh. She already proved herself to be the perfect candidate to do that sort of thing. “Yeah, of course.”

Salad ambled over to Yogurt, gulping in a couple breaths and wheezing from the exertion from his previous labour. “C-Can we have dinner now?” 

“Oh yeah! We still have a lot of leftovers from today so we can just warm up some for you guys,” Reylen motioned for the others to come inside

Yogurt, still with her gracious smile, took Salad by the hand and with Reylen going over to turn on the small lamps above the backyard door, they went back in, satisfied with today’s events.

\--

_ Love to Platter _

“NO, I’M PRETTY SURE I WON TODAY.”

“YOU SAID YOU WON  _ YESTERDAY _ , HOW CAN YOU WIN  _ AGAIN _ ??”

Tom Yum and Tempura were quarreling once more at the shared Dining Room table. They had once again completed another Exploration together but had made it into one of their usual collection challenges. Their squabbling was loud enough to make a few of the Dining Room patrons next door cringe.

While Salad cringed into his food, Yogurt, with a smile, had stepped in between them and took their almost empty plates. When both of them looked up, she had piled up a bunch of carrots and shiitake mushrooms high on their platters.

“W-W-What’s up with that, Miss Yogurt?” Tempura stuttered.

“Don’t tell me…” Tom Yum gulped.

“Since you two are  _ such strong boys,  _ I’m sure that you both can finish the leftover greens for us! You need the nutrients after all!”

As the two groaned and dug in, Salad leaned in to a shocked Reylen. “I, uh, think she likes it when she can feed others well. I heard she’s probably got a recipe regime for you in the making, Master Attendant. A-Are you okay, Master Attendant?”

Silently, Reylen took a mental note on what he was gonna be served when Yogurt was on cooking duty the next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hi im back.
> 
> so as you all know, a pandemic happened and i'm working as, well, typically an essential worker. these past few months have been hell but i'm sure all of us are living it.
> 
> anyways. shoutout to AlexaRouge for giving me such a lovely, beloved comment that somehow managed to bring me back to writing. This chapter sits at a measly 3k but I feel like I can do this again. Thank you for your kind words!!
> 
> I'm defs still playing FoodFan (kept up with the new Natto event and got Oden and Umeshu haha), but as far as me catching up with characters, I'm just gonna go on my own pace. This is still my love letter to the characters in the game and being able to catch up with Reylen again just. Feels right.
> 
> So hey, i'm back and i hope i can stick around a lot longer for Reylen and his crew at the Sweet Leaf for just a little while and I'm truly happy to those who have still stuck around for our adventures together <3


	3. No Peace for the Witch-ed (Seaweed Soup)

_“Love is sweet even when what you go through is bitter.”_ _― Matshona Dhliwayo_

_What a caring heart._

_No wonder the others look to him in such an endearing manner._

_I cannot wait to meet you again._

Bitterness was a trait that was underlying in everyone, as most say. Reylen was taught this very early during his childhood with an absent father and having to go to the Academy at a young age; bitterness wasn’t a trait he had shown often externally, but boy, did he _stir_ in it.

He had been bitter during his time alone for a few weeks when Coffee and him decided to go on a break, but he denied it afterwards once they made up alongside Chocolate. He had been bitter about losing a couple times at the Arenas so he kept a quiet profile and seldom sent Food Souls out for fear of feeling the ‘sore loser’ thing over and over. He had been hurt when the Summoning room was severely damaged, not knowing the consequences through financial costs and rebuilding from the ground up, and then burying those exact feelings when the required renovations were set quickly.

He was aware of his bitterness. He was guilty of letting it steep and those internal feelings sometimes numbed him. It also didn’t take him long to pull himself out of such a state. Bitterness could be replaced by geniality easily, thanks to his extensive family of caring Food Souls.

Reylen was also aware that his own bitterness affected that same family who grew to love and worry for his sake. Our story today is about one particular Food Soul whose bitterness reflected Reylen’s own: simmering from underneath and sunk lower when denied any means to help. 

In truth, they both only needed to realize that they needed gratefulness to be understood.

\--

“Another quiet day! Isn’t there something else more exciting to do aside from tending to customers?!” Nasi Lemak lamented as she slumped over the front counter, her incline so bent she was dangerously vertical on her bar-stool.

Sashimi shrugged beside her, jabbing away at his completed list of Deliveries that they did alongside Zongzi earlier on his cellphone. “Maybe we can ask Master Attendant if we can check out the Arena again?”

Nasi Lemak pouted. “He _hates_ the Arena, everyone knows that.”

Sashimi scratched his head. “Then, uhhh, the Catacombs?”

The pigtailed girl shook her head fiercely. “Nuh-uh! Only folks like Foie Gras and Peking Duck can go in! We’re too weak to fight those things down there!”

The boy crossed his arms, mirroring the same pout his counterpart was showing. He was now fully expecting an answer from Nasi Lemak every time he opened his mouth “Uhhhhhhm….Explo--” 

And there it was again. “Noooope! We missed the last train to go out there!”

Sashimi threw their arms up, exasperated. “Then WHAT are we to do then?! We’re not fit for Fallen Angel exterminating, we can’t do much else, can’t we?!”

_“AHEM.”_

Both Food Souls jolted as they looked up. Yellow Wine was leaning on the door frame to the kitchen, a smirk on his lips. In between his fingers, he held onto a very shiny silver envelope with a giant golden crab symbol stamped on the middle

“You guys forgot one more thing.”

“What?!”

The pair zipped to Yellow Wine’s side, both boggling at the letter in his hand. “What’s that?! Is that for Master Attendant? What is it?!”

Yellow Wine pursed his lips, shushing the two. “Oi oi, shut up! I don't want him to know I got this!”

Sashimi raised an eyebrow. “Is...he in trouble?”

Nasi Lemak crossed her arms, now giving Yellow Wine a dirty look. “If you got Master Attendant in trouble, I’m gonna drop kick you right here and now.”

The taller man heaved a big sigh and with both arms, he pulled Sashimi and Nasi Lemak into his arms and dragged them to the farthest seat away from the kitchen and perhaps prying ears. “Okay, siddown, lemme explain.” He took out a letter from the shiny envelope, placing it on top of the table for the other two to see.

Nasi Lemak pouted, still crossing her arms while Sashimi leaned on the table, giving a stern look towards Yellow Wine.

“So I read the letter and-- _okay, I_ **_know_ ** _I shouldn’t have read the letter, don’t give me that look--_ and there’s this Air Ship competition going on throughout this week. I thought ‘ _well maybe Master Attendant might like that’,_ since I haven’t seen him do much else lately aside from work.”

Sashimi took the letter from Yellow Wine, eyeballing the contents hastily. “...It’s for a badge?”

Nasi Lemak scoffed. “For a stupid _badge_??? Master Attendant wouldn’t wanna do this, he’s not the show-off type.”

Yellow Wine snatched the letter back, to the dismay of Sashimi. “What _I_ was planning to do was to get a few of us doing a few extra Air Ship runs so we can _surprise_ Master Attendant with the badge! If it’s him working on it, sure, that’s something, but if _we_ surprised him with our hard work, then I bet he’s gonna be extremely proud of us!”

Sashimi gave a small ‘oh!’ noise, nodding. “

Nasi Lemak’s initial frown had now turned into a dreamy look as she leaned in. “Ooooh okay...it’s to make Master Attendant _happy_ , I get it now…”

The taller male folded the letter and slipped it into his chest pocket. “That settles it then! We can grab Zongzi too, since Sashimi likes working with him with these sort of things, right?”

“O-Oh, but he’s currently the Delivery boss for this week…”

Nasi Lemak shrugged nonchalantly. “I could ask Mango Pudding.”

Both Yellow Wine and Sashimi gave the pig-tailed girl strange looks. “I thought you didn’t like her though…?”

She simply gave a sinister smirk. “Gotta have _some_ form of rivalry for this mission!”

Her two companions visibly grimaced.

“Okay! So, let’s meet here again tomorrow and then head on over to the Shipyard and we can go from there, yeah?!” Yellow Wine decided. The other two Food Souls gave determined nods.

The trio gave loud cheers that they thought were for them to hear, but a dark, quiet presence near the kitchen doors thought otherwise.

\--

She had only been newly summoned a day ago, but Seaweed Soup was accustomed to hearing voices from far off distances but it was the matter of what to do with the information she accidentally obtained most of the time.

She had told her newest Master Attendant (Reylen, he called himself) that she wished that her time with him would last a little longer, and his reply still perplexed Seaweed Soup.

_“I just hope that myself and my family here can make the time for you enjoyable.”_

The lithe woman slumped further into her seat outside the Sweet Leaf, where she found that the calming rays of the sun were the most gentle. Other Food Souls of Reylen’s had snuck past her and she knew that they had the looks of fear and apprehension whenever they got one glance at her face. 

It was something she got used to so easily. She was described as having a ‘dangerous vibe’, and unfortunately, she was aware she did. Friendliness wasn’t a trait she was very good at. And yet her Master Attendant had promised such prospects to _have_ friends to her...?

“Oi. Oiiii. Newbie.”

Seaweed Soup looked up, her golden eyes taking in the sight of a tall male with his long hair done up in a ponytail. Beside him, a pair of youths greeted the woman back (one with a strange bobcut for hair but an easygoing smile and the other with dark pigtails and an innocent look that seemed deceiving). They gave Seaweed Soup a few shy waves and mustered complexions.

She quietly cleared her throat before she could reply in a small voice. “...Yes?”

Yellow Wine jabs a thumb to himself. “I’m Yellow Wine! And these two are Sashimi and Nasi Lemak. We’re heading over to do some Air Ship work and thought maybe you’d like to tag along?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. Asking you.”

She looked down, the steady glow of the moon shaped orb she always held replying with its light. “...Do you...really want _me_ to come along?”

“Yeah!” Sashimi piped in. “We want you to see how we do Air Ships and we also just want your company!”

“Mm! Yeah, what he said,” Nasi Lemak added. “We’re doing this for Master Attendant, specifically.”

 _For Master Attendant?_ She thought to herself the other day when she had stumbled upon the trio’s loud conversation. How dedicated they must feel, she pondered. How she could possibly fit into their plans as well.

Perhaps she could take a lucky gander at her worst trait.

As she slowly got up from her seat, Yellow Wine beckoned for the others to follow his lead down the gate, mentioning that they would meet Mango Pudding along the way. She floated behind a chatting Sashimi and Nasi Lemak, and quietly marveled at how warm the sun was, far much more than where she had sat previously.

\--

Seaweed Soup immediately regretted her decision to join them as soon as they reached the Air Ship port.

“No! We should work on grabbing the meals first _then_ grab the individual ingredients since the Marketplace is just nearby!” Mango Pudding argued.

“We brought all this crap just to put in the crates first! Why bother going to the Marketplace now when we have it all here?! Plus, you _kinda_ forgot we got another Air Ship to worry about once this one leaves!” Nasi Lemak countered.

“You’re so stupid! You like waiting to cook stuff while the Air Ship’s got places to go?!” The pig-tailed blonde jabbed a finger at her nemesis, who replied with a rude finger gesture back.

Sashimi was ignoring the two and putting supplies into the inside of their bright yellow crab-shaped Air Ship, almost as if ignoring Nasi Lemak and Mango Pudding had become second nature to him. Seaweed Soup, having not been given a task from anyone, had sat herself on top of a wooden crate and followed the albeit loud conversation silently, her hands over her floating moon orb.

“Oiiiii, Miss Seaweed!” Yellow Wine’s bellowing voice and weird nickname broke the woman out of her thoughts. She peered below where the male was, on a lower dock. He was trying to wave her over.

“Let’s go grab some ingredients while we still can!”

“...”

“They’ll be okay without us, come on, let’s go!”

“.......”

Yellow Wine’s face contorted into a frown, his wave slowly faltering. “You, uh, don’t wanna go? I mean, it’s okay if you don’t wan--”

Seaweed Soup instantly got up. This was another chance at trying to get to know her Master Attendant’s allies. She had to do her best here. If she didn’t at least try to convey her image towards her fellow companions, then what was the point in being summoned in the first place?

 _For Master Attendant_ , she repeated in her head.

“No, I wish to go with.”

The male gave a wide grin, motioning with his head for Seaweed Soup to follow him. “We’re gonna head to the local kitchen to cook up what’s needed for the upcoming Air Ships!”

As the two left the docks, Seaweed Soup took note of her surroundings. It was instantly full with the height of Hilena’s pearly white seaside buildings, with string-like banners coloured blue and yellow embracing many balconies to mark the summertime. The smells of the sea, the cooking from the vendors that the pair passed, the rays of sunlight peeking through clouds, it was a memory that Seaweed Soup had known about for so long in her previous reincarnations, yet stayed new to her senses every time it appeared to her.

She wished her Master Attendant were by her side to see her reactions, however.

“Yooooo, Miss Seaweed, you alright?”

She blinked back her surprise and looked at her concerned companion. They had stopped at a rather large communal building where a few Food Souls and humans alike passed in and out of its entrance.

“What...is this?”

“This is the big kitchen that we can use for Air Ship supplies and stuff! Since Master Attendant often uses the docks, we can use a complimentary kitchen to cook up stuff for our Air Ships and whatnot. A lot of folks here in Hilena do it too!”

Seaweed Soup fidgeted. “Where...exactly does all the orders and supplies go to, M-Mr. Yellow?”

Yellow Wine gave a smirk at the new name. “Weeeell, I heard from Master Attendant that they get donated throughout different places in Tierra, but to be honest? Not so sure myself. Probably they dunk ‘em on random hungry Fallens, I betcha.” He crossed his arms behind his head. “Buuuut we gotta buy some stuff first, then we’ll come back here.”

“I see...”

Just ahead of the communal kitchen, Seaweed Soup laid her eyes at the immense Marketplace, full of chatter, smells, and noises that were a bit unpleasant to her but was the way of life to folks who lived down here, it seemed. 

She had to get on her feet to make sure she kept up with the hasty Yellow Wine. He wove through each stall, taking reference from a checklist he had in his hands. She was awed at his incredible buying speed, taking note on how curt he was when he got particular items and how quickly he reverted to being friendly when it came to an elderly stall owner. The gloomily dressed Food Soul could only give stiff nods towards folks who passed her on the crowded street. This social interaction issue she had at the moment was becoming a little stifling to take. 

She wondered just how Yellow Wine could look so standoffish yet still exude some form of politeness. She wondered how _she_ could be like that.

“Hey, Miss Seaweed, can ya do me a huge favour?” Yellow Wine’s voice brought her back from her reverie as they took shade under one milk tea stall’s gigantic umbrella. She was struggling to get her breath back but nodded slowly at her accomplice, who was glancing at his shopping list, one arm pointing at one road with more stalls.

“I need ya to grab me some pickled peppers. It’s for our dumb pickled fish thing we got on our list. There’s a small stall that sells dried food down that one alley, and that’s all we really need!”

Her response was immediate and a little bit automatic, despite her just waking from her reverie. “Y-yes, alright...”

She let herself float once more, having seen that the alleyway didn’t impose too much of a crowd as much as the main road and headed straight for the location. Just as Yellow Wine had said, there was a tiny elderly woman selling big jars of pickled food and fruit. Seaweed Soup sighed to herself, her previous determination dwindling down. 

“Excuse me...,” she started quietly. The elderly woman had swiftly turned her back on the Food Soul and Seaweed Soup’s shoulders slumped a little. Of course she wouldn’t notice such a dark person such as herself. Why was she bothering to do this errand again? 

“Oiiiii, pretty lady!” 

Seaweed Soup didn’t have time to stew in her thoughts as Yellow Wine bellowed from behind her, causing her to jolt. 

The elder lady whipped around, giving the pair a toothy smile. “Weeeell, if it ain’t the loudmouth here again!”

The male stepped in between the two women, offering his hand out with a few coins. “Gonna get the usual goods ya got, since we _love_ your homemade stuff, Granny” He had on a strange amicable air that Seaweed Soup assumed looked foreign for the other Food Soul but with how friendly he was acting, she concluded that he must be a frequent customer.

The older matron took out a small bag chock full of yellow peppers with an intense sour smell. With a few exchanged smiles, Yellow Wine finished the transaction and beckoned for the astonished Seaweed Soup to follow him back to the main alleyway.

“Hey, you alright? You seem uncomfortable,” Yellow Wine mentioned as they made their way through the bustling crowds, being arm to arm against one another. “I figured that you might’ve been when you went to grab those peppers for me.”

He gently nudged Seaweed Soup to one direction towards a flight of stairs heading back to the communal kitchen. His tone was a little more softer, as if trying not to spook his counterpart. “You know. Jiuniang, my friend, she’s also pretty shy so I don’t try to push it if she doesn’t feel okay. So you can talk me off too, alright?”

Seaweed Soup slowly nodded. She remembered briefly meeting Jiuniang; a shy little thing who gulped and fled the opposite direction when she got a glance at Seaweed Soup. This man seemed to have a hidden ability to qualm the uneasiness with his headstrong approach to talking. 

Or something like that.

She couldn’t summon the words to thank him for the help but perhaps he was too understanding (somehow, amidst all that tough exterior he had) to let her. She could only silently follow his shadow, and she could only let the regret pull at her.

\--

“Hey, jerk! Why’d you leave us without telling?!” Mango Pudding huffed, her hands on her hips as she greeted the pair in front of the kitchens.

“Hah? You were pretty busy with Nasi Lemak that I did your shit for you!” Yellow Wine argued back, shoving the many bags full of ingredients into the annoyed girl’s arms. Seaweed Soup couldn’t help let out a small giggle as Mango Pudding stuck her tongue out at Yellow Wine, missing his food as she tried to stomp it with a sharp heel.

“You!” She shot a daring look at Seaweed Soup. “You’re gonna help me cook all this junk! Come on!”

“Wait...me?” She didn’t have much time to react as Mango Pudding took one hand full of groceries and yanked Seaweed Soup’s hand towards the kitchen entrance. 

“Yellow BITCH Wine! You better stay here and grab a few crates for us when we’re done!” Mango Pudding demanded, while Seaweed Soup winced at the weird name for the ponytailed man.

“Wait, what?! I thought I was gonna help?!”

“YOU can help by staying outside!”

Seaweed Soup stayed quiet as Mango Pudding practically dragged her through the vast, spice-smelling building, finding a particular room number and upon finding the right one, went and piled the bags of food onto a spare dining table.

Mango Pudding took to grabbing a few cutting boards and some knives that were hanging from one wall and took to grabbing and chopping a few vegetables messily. For a few moments, Seaweed Soup floated in place, only watching the vigorous idol Food Soul work. She didn’t have a very solid grip on the knife she was holding, making her speed and chopping collide in a jarring way. But the way she chopped was so determined that Seaweed Soup couldn’t bear to look away. The image of a petite girl in full idol garb, chopping away at carrots and cabbage like it was nothing. It was an endearing sight.

She wondered just how Mango Pudding could seem so pompous but still held herself up in a unique, beautiful confidence. She wondered how _she_ could also be like that.

“...Hey! You wanna help? You don’t need to just stand there, you know!”

“...Eh? Are you sure?” Seaweed Soup never really learned how to cut vegetables in any of her previous lifetimes and was unsure how she could measure up to Mango Pudding’s speed, even though it was a sloppy job.

Mango Pudding, meanwhile, gave the other woman a baffled stare. “You don’t know how to do this, huh?”

Seaweed Soup nodded, bowing her head. “I’m sorry.”

“Why be sorry? Come’ere, I’ll show ya the ropes.”

Hesitantly, Seaweed Soup went beside Mango Pudding and pulled her long sleeves up. Taking one knife, she took hold of a short carrot, balling it in her fist and aimed her knife, shakily.

Immediately, Mango Pudding had gone over, cupping her hands over Seaweed Soup’s and adjusting her hands so that the grip was over the carrot and the grip over her knife wasn’t so stiff. “Theeeere we go. Don’t go too fast the first time. Don’t want you cutting a finger first thing~!”

Seaweed Soup grimaced at the syrupy advice but with her newly placed hand posture, she slowly sliced a coin shape from her carrot. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. 

From the corner of her eye, Mango Pudding was smirking, gloating even. “Good! You can be just as good as me and maybe even just as good as Master Attendant! Maybe! So you can be in charge of carrots, I’ll do the other things and get the other stuff cooking!” 

As the twin-tailed girl pulled a few pots and pans, groveling at the sight of having to gut a few salmon, Seaweed Soup made slow progress with her small pile of carrots. With each careful slice, she found herself smiling to herself.

_Just as good as Master Attendant..._

The smaller girl turned, checking on Seaweed Soup and clapping her hands together happily as she saw her work partner’s progress. “Yeah! You got the right idea, Miss Seaweed! Can I, uh, call you that too?” Mango Pudding asked sheepishly.

Seaweed Soup looked at her for a moment, nodding slowly, then realizing that she had caught herself in the moment of smiling, replying with a very small smile in front of Mango Pudding’s. She broke the stare and went back to chopping vegetables, the embarrassment burning in her cheeks. She did _not_ have to do this. She didn’t _have_ to make a big goofy fool of herself.

But the hidden confidence in her chopping remained even as she was tasked to do a few cabbages next. 

\--

The setting sun was now hiding over the mountains far off from the city and the group’s third and final Air Ship took to the skies, full and content for its journey.

Sashimi and Nasi Lemak high fived one another as they took a few of the small Air Ship medallions from the dockmaster. They met up with their group just at the front gates.

“We did it! We managed to grab the last few medallions before the night shifts started!” Nasi Lemak announced, stuffing the medals into a pineapple shaped purse that hung on her side. “Now we can submit them and grab that stupid badge for Master Attendant!”

“Yeah! Let’s go race over to the office!” Sashimi challenged the other girl, running down the planked bridge that led back to the city. Nasi Lemak fumed, enraged that the other Food Soul had taken the lead. While the two sprinted, Yellow Wine nudged to Seaweed Soup, who was still collecting her thoughts to her day.

“Oi, you wanna catch up with them and see if they actually go to the Air Ship office?” He gave a cheeky grin, to the slight confusion of Seaweed Soup.

“Hmph! You just wanna walk like the slow cad you are! Well so am I!” Mango Pudding pointed her nose, strutting away from the pair, heels clacking on the dull plank wood. 

Yellow Wine sighed. He beckoned to Seaweed Soup, only to realize she had already left her side. Mango Pudding gave a shrill yell when Seaweed Soup floated past her, intent to catch up with Sashimi and Nasi Lemak. She would have to apologize for having ran past the two later.

When she finally found herself in front of the small hut that was the Air Ship office, she jumped when the pair had exited the building, with somber looks in their faces.

Catching her breath and daring to ask, she spoke. “What happened...?” 

Sashimi, with his face looking at the ground, heaved a sigh. “We, uh, were technically too _late_ to submit the medals in...”

Nasi Lemak interrupted Sashimi, her cheeks red as she seethed. “ACTUALLY, the badge was already sent out to Master Attendant, so what we did was TOTALLY NULL!!!”

“No it’s totally not! He could use the extra points!” Sashimi tried to defend in haste.

“Nuh-uh! I could’ve been spending time doing nothing alongside Master Attendant today! Instead of lugging boxes into not one but THREE stupid ships! We had to use CRYSTALS for that last one!!! **_CRYSTALS!!!_ ** _”_

While the two bickered, Seaweed Soup glanced from one arguing Food Soul to another, her anxiety slowly rising. “I-Is...this bad? For Master Attendant...?” she said in a quiet voice, unsure whether the two would hear her. _Was their efforts for naught...?_ Seaweed Soup found her shaky hands finding a place over her cheeks.

...But they did hear her. Sashimi and Nasi Lemak both turned to the woman with apologetic expressions. “No, it’s ok! It’s ok!”

Seaweed Soup swallowed thickly, her hands lowering. “Yes...?”

“For sure! The badge that Master Attendant earned is getting sent back home so he’s probably got it already and we didn’t know about it. I think we just got the badge notice thing late, probably?” Sashimi explained.

“Yeah, it’s _totally_ fine! I’m just complaining! The fact that you put up with all of us today means a lot though, Miss Seaweed!”

“Noooo, not putting up!” Sashimi countered. “She’s our friend and I’m happy that she came along!”

_Friend?_

Seaweed Soup had to register the comment over and over again as she floated in place. The two had stopped talking, now looking at her in concern.

She opened her mouth again, her words careful. “I’m...a friend?”

Nasi Lemak nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah!”

Sashimi added, “We just wanted you to have an enjoyable time with us, you know!”

_Oh! It was that very same promise that Master Attendant had told her!_

She bowed her head, now in understanding and a little bit of shame. The two hurriedly told Seaweed Soup that the situation was okay, while Mango Pudding and Yellow Wine finally caught up with them.

It would take another hour until the group finally reached home and Seaweed Soup was greeted by Reylen, who had shown the pretty gold and red Air Ship pin (it wasn't even a _badge!!_ ) he had donned on his work coat lapel.

“How was your day, Seaweed Soup?” He had asked her once everyone had left to get dinner and head to bed. His tone was lovely to hear, even though it was always different with each reincarnation of hers.

So of course, Seaweed Soup still had faith with her Master Attendant, and thus her small, yet benevolent smile answered his question.

“Yes. I enjoyed myself today, Master Attendant.”

Perhaps it was time to chip away at the mountain of loneliness that she had made, little by little. Only her wavering faith in her Master Attendant would break it down faster. And even her days with the other Food Souls would pile as she learned to bring herself into their warm circle. She did fear the day when the warmth would suddenly up and disappear, so the base of that bitter mountain remained a little. 

But for now, here she was, in the present once again.

She was content with just that, at least.

\--

_Shell-abration_

Seaweed Soup settled into her new bed, a room located in the third floor attic area. She had heard faint laughter from one room belonging to Bloody Mary (a Food Soul that even she was a bit wary of from the way he ‘acted’), and another room was Red Wine’s. 

Before she got herself comfortable in the sheets, her ears caught a faint melody coming from somewhere. It sounded like a flute.

Her eyes were heavy, paying no mind to the innocent, calming airs.

To no one in particular, her quiet voice reached out.

“...good night...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "seaweed soup sounds emo....GIVE HER THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP"  
> "....I HAVE THE POWER TO"
> 
> this was WAAAAY back when caviar and my girl seaweed soup got introduced and i love her aesthetic? i just want her to be happy ;w;  
> also, i think frames are pretty pins that your MA sticks on their clothes or bags, okay, leave me alone,
> 
> next is MORE BABYSITTING. who the heck knows another dag baby in these parts? and why dont we have a babysitting license yet???

**Author's Note:**

> The third part of a lovely series showcasing my love for the Food Souls I've collected so far. Apologies for the mass mistakes and usual pandering bs.
> 
> My UID is 237747! I'm under Reylen Sharpe. Let's be good cooking friends.


End file.
